title: Rapid identification of Mycobacterium avium clinical isolates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid and accurate discrimination of Mycobacterium avium from other mycobacteria is essential for appropriate therapeutic management and timely intervention for infection control. However, routine clinical identification methods for M. avium are both time consuming and labor intensive. In the present study, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used to identify specific cellular protein pattern for rapid identification of M. avium isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 clinically relevant Mycobacterium strains comprising 13 distinct species were enrolled for the MALDI-TOF MS identification. A 10-minute extraction-free examination procedure was set up to obtain mass spectral fingerprints from whole bacterial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The characteristic mass spectral peak patterns in the m/z (mass/charge ratio) range of 5-20 kDa can be obtained within 10 minutes. The species-specific mass spectra for M. avium is identified and can be differentiated from as Mycobacterium strains. This technique shortens and simplifies the identification procedure of MALDI-TOF MS and may further extend the mycobacterial MALDI-TOF MS database.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simplicity and rapidity of identification procedures make MALDI-TOF MS an attractive platform in routine identification of mycobacteria. MALDI-TOF MS is applicable for rapid discrimination of M. avium from other Mycobacterium species, and shows its potential for clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuan-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Pathology, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsu-Lan
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-Hsin
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Shu
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chau-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Cherng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: janglu45@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jang-Jih
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: hclai@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsin-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry; Mycobacterium avium; Rapid identification